Los Angeles man sentenced in Montana for fraud

MISSOULA, Mont. 
A Los Angeles man who posed as a Hollywood businessman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution on mail fraud and money laundering charges.

William Edward Marlin was sentenced in federal court Thursday.

Federal prosecutors said Marlin bilked investors all over the country, including several in Montana, by saying he had ties to the film industry and that major networks aired films his production company made.

However, prosecutors say Marlin's company, Children's Family Films, never produced any films, products or videos and investors never received a return on their investment.